In honour of Iwamoto Hikaru’s birthday (Happy birthday, Hikaru!!!!) and the opening of his official Instagram account, I wanted to post my report from Snow Man’s recent concert at the Japan National Stadium on April 19, 2025.
It was an unseasonably hot day with clear skies, and I was absolutely buzzing with excitement because I was finally going to see one of my favourite groups, Snow Man, perform at the Japan National Stadium! I had always dreamed of one of my groups performing at this legendary venue, especially being an ARASHI fan first and foremost, and actually being able to attend a show here.
So when Snow Man announced their first-ever stadium tour earlier this year and I somehow managed to hit for tickets, it honestly felt surreal. And now, the day had finally arrived, and I was ready to see what they had in store for us.
Armed with all my concert goods, my friend and I entered the venue and made our way to our seats. We had an amazing view from the right side of the stage and immediately started noticing little details that got us hyped for the show ahead. The stage setup was massive—main stage, center stage, back stage, plus two side stages and even a stairway leading up into the stands! There were also ten moving stages (five on each side) that circled the arena, bringing the total number of stages to sixteen.
Seeing the scale of the venue in person made me even more excited for what was to come. We started tossing around our guesses for the setlist, especially after watching Snow Man’s YouTube video that was uploaded on April 16, 2025. Would they finally perform “Zig Zag Love” again after all these years? I could only hope…!!
But honestly, the moment the show started, all of our predictions went flying out the window because we were blown away immediately 🤩
The show kicked off with a video montage introducing each member individually. After a brief pause… the unmistakable intro to “Crazy F-R-E-S-H Beat” started playing and the entire stadium ROARED. Starting the concert with CFB? SLAY.
The boys appeared on the main stage in pink and white tweed suits with giant sunglasses, performing the iconic choreo (shoutout to Mr. Iwamoto Hikaru 💛) before taking off their sunnies and diving straight into “Evolution“—a song they hadn’t performed live since 2021! The energy was ELECTRIC. Fans were screaming, the boys were thriving, and it only amped up more with “Nine Snow Flash” thanks to the super fun call-and-response part. They moved to the back stage, hopped onto the moving platforms, and made their way around the arena. Everyone was beaming and doling out the fanservice, much to the delight of the fans.
Then came “Namida no Umi wo Koete“—this beautiful, hopeful song—and suddenly these huge columns of water shot up in front of the moving stages! It was breathtaking, especially against the open sky. Hearing them perform these earlier songs at such an iconic venue was especially special, and gave weight to how far the group has come since debut.
They returned to the main stage and launched into “Brother Beat,” which was extremely cute. Meme (Meguro Ren)’s “Mou!” line was extra pouty and adorable and earned many kyas from the audience. Afterwards, each member took turns greeting the crowd, getting everyone even more fired up. I especially loved Abe-chan (Abe Ryohei)’s adorable greeting: “Do you want to be happy?” And obviously, the entire stadium screamed “YES!!!“
After greetings, they disappeared backstage for a costume change, reemerging in beige suits with red accents that gave military vibes—or, after seeing fan comments, maybe Emirates flight attendant vibes 😂 Regardless, they looked amazing and each outfit was tailored to each member’s individuality, such as Hikaru rocking a bomber jacket and shades for that cool-guy look, while Shoppi (Watanabe Shota) wore a stunning choker that screamed Swarovski ambassador.
Here, they eased into the mid-tempo portion of the setlist with “Boku to Iu Na no Drama” and “SBY,” which was absolutely magical against the setting sun. During a quick talk break (“It’s mop time!” proclaimed Fukka (Fukazawa Tatsuya), as staff mopped up the earlier waterworks), they teased the next segment: solo songs!
At first, I thought they might do unit songs because having all 9 members perform individual solos seemed like quite a long time to dedicate in the setlist with only one member on stage at a time, but no—they actually made it work and it was beyond my expectations.
First up: Abe-chan with his solo “Isso, Kiraininaretara.”! The whole stadium turned green with penlights—it was such a beautiful sight and I can only imagine how Abe-chan felt while looking at the view as the top batter. He was joined by “mystery dancers” Fukka and Meme (who revealed themselves by lifting their huge red hats 😆) and it was overall an incredibly endearing performance that left me smiling`.
Then Date-sama (Miyadate Ryota) appeared for his dramatic solo “I･Datte Tomaranai”, complete with a rose-wreathed mic stand. Hikaru and Raul supported him, and we even got the famous Date-sama pause mid-song which had the audience laughing at the comedic touch!
Next was Shoppi with “OTONONARUHOE”, with Sakuma Daisuke and Koji Mukai supporting him—not just with dance but vocals too! They even pulled off some stage magic where Sakuma and Koji seemingly appeared out of thin air. Absolutely adorable!!
Meme then closed out the first half of the solos with “Asa no Jikan”, serenading the audience from a trolley that passed through the arena seats and even had a lift to elevate him above the audience. Meme’s expressiveness and heartfeltness was so apparent during the performance and it was incredibly moving.
And then, surprise!! Meme called Hikaru back out, which had me wondering if we were going to get “7%” already (even after him announcing that the solo corners were over 😂), but no, Hikaru actually came out playing the DRUMS! Seeing Hikaru drumming again (I believe the last time was during his SHARK drama days!) in front of 70,000 fans was unreal. He was dressed in a gorgeous glittery yellow suit with sunglasses and evoked cool-guy vibes which just added to the epicness of the performance and he absolutely KILLED his drumming solo.
And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, an entire marching band came out for an epic “Tic Tac Toe” band remix! Raul, Koji, Sakuma, and Datesama joined first to perform the opening lines of the song, also similarly dressed in glittery member coloured suits, and then the full group gathered for an insane drumline interlude. It was utterly MIND-BLOWING and they did an amazing job! Honestly, Raul and Fukka did an amazing job producing the show
The marching band section continued with “Kissin’ My Lips,” “LOVE TRIGGER,” and a dance-off before everyone’s energy hit the max during “Cry Out” (which had been put at end of the last two tours, so the early placement during this tour had everyone going wild). Raul even lost his shoes from the sheer adrenaline 😂 (Don’t worry, Koji returned them like the prince he is—Sakuma even called Raul Cinderella during MC LOL.)
My only complaint? Hikaru didn’t do his traditional top-tearing—but he did cheekily fake it, which sent the crowd screaming 😂
After the high-energy frenzy, they shifted into a more emotional set: “Kimi e Okuru Ouen Enka,” “AIKOTOBA,” “Startline,” and “Tapestry,” and then went into the MC section which had many cute moments:
MC Corner Highlights:
- Shoppi admitted that he forgot some lyrics earlier in the concert and then joked that if Fuma from timelesz was there, he wouldn’t forgive him 😆
- Raul explained that he took off his shoes mid-Cry Out because he was so fired up he thought he might slip! Meme also teased him a bit by imitating how Raul looked while he was taking his shoes off, and it was absolutely adorable.
- Everyone thanked the weather gods (and their teruteru bouzu) for the sunny day. Hikaru joked about being blamed if it had rained because he’s an “Ame Otoko” and pulled the CUTEST sulky face on camera!
- Abe-chan reminded everyone that their Best of Album “THE BEST 2020 – 2025” is now streaming!
After MC, we dove back into the second solo section:
Koji’s “Finder” solo was so touching—every member showed up behind him as the screens showed him taking photos of everyone during the opening montage. Afterwards, they all posed together for a group photo and it warmed my heart to see them being so supportive of Koji 🫶🏼
Fukka’s solo “iro iro” had the other members holding up cute props and signs that then hilariously spelled out “IKEMEN TATSUYA”. His song incorporates all member colours so it was super cute when they also came out holding member-colour umbrellas at the end.
Sakuma’s solo “Sono Egao Mamoritai” was next and it was PURE HYPE. Everyone in the stadium joined in the call-and-response portions, and the members also came out in happis that had “Protect Sakuma’s Smile Crew” written on the trim, and were armed with penlights to execute flawless wotagei. The entire performance was one big beautiful otaku family moment. I loved it SO much. Thank you, Sakuma, for this perfect anthem for us fans.
Next up was Hikaru’s solo “7%” which was 🔥🔥🔥—he shifted into his grown-up, sexy mode with a sensual performance featuring Fukka (!!) as the “female dancer” from the MV. Chairs were used as props and overall, my jaw was on the ground cuz I never would have imagined getting an Iwafukka pairing moment but I’m so happy we did!!
Raul closed out the solo section with a deeply artistic performance of “Induction”. While the song wasn’t my favourite genre-wise upon first listen, seeing it live was transformative.
Raul’s flowing white outfit, powerful dance, and raw expressiveness were stunning. It reminded me once again of Raul’s sheer talent and it evoked feelings of pride, as I recalled his evolution throughout the years and everything he’s accomplished individually and also with the group 🥹
Then came a quick transition into “EMPIRE,” with brand new outfits: white suits with black accents and jewels. The energy in the stadium was bumped up another notch with their high octane performance and I especially enjoyed Koji’s vocals here—he did an amazing job with the long high notes that my ears were tingling from it!
They then moved down the centre runway towards centre stage with an insane mashup of “Slow…” and “BREAKOUT“. When the first transition from “Slow…” into “BREAKOUT” happened, I was completely lost but as they continued to switch back and forth between the two very different tracks, I was just in awe at their skills. They transitioned so seamlessly between the two very different tempos and choreos that I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my head after the concert ended.
“Grandeur” followed, then “Party! Party! Party!” which was not just a nostalgic song, but also amazing because there were so many member interactions (special shoutout to the AbeSaku and MemeNabe moment!!). It is the very definition of an oldie but a goodie as it continues to stand the test of time as a certified banger and a fun song to perform.
After that, we got a super cute chibi video montage where the members had some banter but also celebrated their five years, which was a hint for the next section where they performed one song per year since debut. In this section they once again had a costume change and this time came out in brightly coloured tuxedos which made them look incredibly dapper.
- 2020: “D.D.“
- 2021: “Hello Hello” (with Koji’s signature pun at the intro!)
- 2022: “Orange Kiss” with lots of fan service
- 2023: “Dangerholic“
- 2024: “Kimi wa Boku no Mono“
After that came the emotional climax: the aisatsu (greetings). Each member shared their heartfelt thanks, and Meme choked up with tears as he talked about how a Kokuritsu concert had once seemed impossible. The audience cheered him on and he ended his greetings by introducing the final song, “Dear,,” which is a song that is dedicated to fans and everyone who has supported them.
They performed this on the main stage, each member lifted into the air by cables while their faces were shown on the big screens. It was such an incredibly emotional song that left me — and so many others in the audience — in tears.
The cameras even caught Shoppi, Meme, Sakuma, and Abe-chan openly crying, which only made it even more emotional. I can only imagine how breathtaking the view must have been from their vantage point, looking out over a sea of penlights. I’m so grateful I got to be part of that view and share this moment with everyone.
After the song, they thanked everyone in the audience one final time before going backstage, and the stadium immediately began the chant for an encore. After a few moments, the boys came back in the white tour T-shirts. Notably, Abe-chan was wearing the tour bucket hat, and Raul donned an adorable flower beret that looked extremely similar to the tour penlight!
They performed “Snow World,” “Kimi no Kareshi ni Naritai“, “KANPAI Year!!,” and “We’ll go together,” which then climaxed as 3,500 fireworks bursts shot up into the night sky while they were performing. The fireworks were also in their member colours, and it was such a magical experience. My heart swelled with emotions seeing this incredible view, and I’m so incredibly grateful that I got to experience this special milestone with them. This is only the beginning for them, and I am so excited to see where their journey leads to next! In the meantime, I will continue to relive the concert in my head and eagerly await the DVD/Blu-ray release 🙏
Scratch that because Netflix recently announced that the concert would be available for streaming worldwide as of June 13, 2025, beginning 22:00 JST! Oh, what a time to be alive!! I still look forward to the DVD/Blu-ray release, but to be able to see this concert from anywhere in the world on Netflix is insane!
Congrats Snow Man 🎉
If this caught your interest, don’t stop here—dive deeper into the world of Snow Man before they hit the global screens through Netflix with our recent member introduction article. Whether you’re just discovering them or brushing up on your favorites, it’s a perfect place to start.
More than an idol group, Snow Man has become a cultural phenomenon that embodies passion, talent, and a unique connection with their fanbase. With each new project, the group reaffirms their place as a leading reference in J-pop.
Snow Man is juicy, will make you cry out as you watch their grandeur evolution; they’re a tapestry of stories with a secret touch and an empire of never-ending memories.
For longtime fans, it’s a dream finally realized. For new listeners, it’s the perfect place to start. With 『THE BEST 2020 – 2025』 now available on streaming, Snow Man’s world is open—and everyone is welcome. Their voices now echo not just across concert halls, but through headphones and speakers around the world.
With the release of a portion of their music on streaming platforms, the group’s journey is no longer limited by borders or formats—it’s accessible, tangible, and ready to be heard. What once felt like a distant dream has become a new beginning.
The timing couldn’t be more symbolic. Just as they prepare to take on the largest venues of their career—a stadium tour, marking the first live audience performance by a STARTO ENTERTAINMENT group at the newly renovated National Stadium—Snow Man also opens their discography to a global audience. It’s an invitation: to look back on where they started, to celebrate how far they’ve come, and to move forward—because we’ll go together.
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Written by Amy for Dumpling Box♥
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Thank you so much for this recap. I just got into Snow Man this year and would have loved to be able to go to one of their live shows. This was such a huge milestone for them and I can’t wait to see what else there is to come!!
Thank you so much for reading! Despite the distance, I am happy that we at least got this concert on Netflix! Here’s to more content coming!🫶🏻